Massage
by Heart Full of Elves
Summary: Jack can't sleep, so he seeks out Ianto. Post-Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.


Jack had come home to Cardiff after more than a year away. No – he'd _chosen_ to come home, he realised. He'd told the Doctor that he had responsibilities, and he did. He couldn't leave Torchwood - leave his _team_ – on their own for any longer. He was needed to save the Earth. He had a duty to keep her safe.

But it was more than that. Earlier that night, John Hart had asked what was keeping him on this quaint lump of rock, and the answer was simple: Love. Jack had fallen in love with this little planet and these people who would someday leave to discover what else was out there and explore the stars. Fallen in love with the remarkable people he was descended from.

He lay on his back on the double bed in his hotel room, staring at the ceiling. After they'd sent John back through the Rift and time had been reverted, the team had needed to lie low in order to avoid themselves, so Ianto had booked them all into a hotel. Jack sighed. He was exhausted, utterly drained, but there was no way he was going to sleep tonight, what with all his thoughts. So much had happened in a short amount of time, and he didn't think that he could cope with everything on his own.

He lay there for another few minutes before making his decision. Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, he got up, padded to the door next to his, and knocked.

Ianto opened the door. "Jack?" he said, taking in the captain's appearance.

Jack managed a weak smile. "You're still up?" he asked, noticing that although Ianto's jacket, tie, and shoes were gone, the man was still dressed.

The Welshman shook his head. "Couldn't sleep. You too, huh?" He raised one eyebrow as he guessed the nature of Jack's presence.

Jack sighed, his whole body feeling heavy and achy. He grimaced, and nodded. Without saying another word, Ianto opened the door the rest of the way and let him in.

"Right, shirt off and face down on the bed."

"What?" Jack stared at the young man in confusion. He might have just gone without sex for about fifteen months, but he simply wasn't in the mood. All he wanted in this moment was to curl into a ball and not wake up for a hundred years.

Seeing Jack's hesitation, Ianto led him over to the bed and explained. "I'm going to give you a massage to help you sleep."

_Oh._ That would… that would be lovely. The thoughtful gesture was almost enough to make Jack weep. He'd missed Ianto's touch, and he'd missed Ianto's small acts of kindness even more. Still, he had a reputation to uphold.

"If you wanted me naked, all you had to do was ask," he leered, but it was a half-hearted effort and Ianto seemed to pick up on it.

"C'mon, do you want what I'm offering, or not?"

Jack let out another sigh, the third in ten minutes, and began to unbutton his shirt.

"Something must really be wrong if the mighty Captain Jack Harkness isn't even replying to that with an innuendo," Ianto observed in a soft tone.

Jack glanced up and almost broke down at the sight of unconcealed concern reflected in Ianto's eyes. Concern that was directed at him. "Yeah," he agreed, but didn't elaborate.

Ianto helped to remove the blue shirt from Jack's shoulders and let the man take off his undershirt by himself before oh-so gently pushing him onto the bed to lie face down. Ianto straddled Jack's still-clothed hips and rolled up his sleeves. Then, he began kneading out the knots in Jack's neck and shoulders.

Jack groaned as the tension left his body and he became a floppy, boneless mass under Ianto's hands. Those wonderful hands made their way down his back, eventually ending up just above the waistband of his trousers. He was shaking with the effort it took to keep himself from crying; he hadn't been touched like this in so long, and after the tortuous year he'd just had, he was especially vulnerable. When Ianto clambered off him and pressed a kiss to his shoulder blade, Jack let out an embarrassed sniffle.

"You're not okay," Ianto stated, turning Jack's head to face him with his fingertips and noticing the wetness of the immortal's eyes.

"No." Jack's accompanying laugh was a harsh one. Bitter. "Something happened to me while I was away. I'm… I'm not ready to talk about it yet, but when I am-" he searched Ianto's worried eyes- "will you listen?" His voice cracked on the last word, and he hated himself for being so weak. He was meant to be the captain, in complete control of himself, especially in front of his team. But here he was, struggling with the trauma of imprisonment and continuous torture, letting the façade fall in front of this man he'd come to care for.

"Of course I'll listen," was Ianto's whispered reply. "I'm here for you, Jack. Always."

"Thank you," Jack said. He had no doubt that when he found himself able to talk about what had happened to him, Ianto would be there with whatever he needed. He wasn't sure yet if it would be a hug, a drink, sex, or just a listening ear, but he knew that the young man would help him move on from recent events.

He rolled onto his side to face the man, and sealed Ianto's lips with his. He poured all his gratitude and affection into the kiss, making sure the young man knew exactly where they stood. It lasted a long time, and both of them were reluctant to come up for air. They kept kissing for a while longer, until the day's events caught up with them and exhaustion threatened to take over. Then, Jack removed his trousers while Ianto undressed, and they both slipped beneath the bedcovers.

With Ianto's arms wrapped tight around him, Jack slipped into a deep sleep at last.


End file.
